We were lucky to catch up with Eddie Vigil V recently and have shared our conversation below.
Eddie, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
You say I’ve found my purpose? That’s nice. Let’s see. I think about how I jumped into pursuing filmmaking a little over 10 years ago now. I think about the countless films I’ve made or been a part of. I like to think that I get a step closer to knowing my purpose with each effort; each step feeling bigger the bigger the project.
Sometimes I think my purpose is a combo of being the one who has the story and then getting that story out by leading a team as a Director or Producer. Sometimes I think my purpose is broader and it’s more about being a key supporter of helping stories go from an idea in a brain to something someone can experience, meaning that I can fulfill my purpose from more angles like when I work as a Script Supervisor.
I’m finding myself and my purpose through trial and error, through the hard work of self-reflection and inner work and coming to the realization that purpose isn’t found only in my work life. It’s also how I show up in life with family and at home in my relationship. Long way to avoid answering this question with, “I haven’t, next question, please.” I’m hoping to have a clearer answer soon as I’m excited to know for sure as well.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m a filmmaker. I enjoy being creative. Perhaps, one may say, that I need to be creative. I’ve lived in the Los Angeles area now for five years and have gotten to express my creativity in many ways so far from short films, commercials, feature films, random fun stuff for social media, and even hosting The Eddie Conversation Podcast.
Right now, this year with the strikes and all for added inspiration, it’s been about dialing back and getting more intentional, specifically in what I want to write, direct, and produce. Now that I have three lower budget feature films under my belt as a Director it feels time to push past a lot of that fear I have about moving toward what the next step up could be. For me that means starting with story and then spending the time writing something I’m really excited about.
In the past I’ve done a lot of my writing with deadlines in mind and focusing more on getting something done than making it something I really, really like that is effective and meaningful to me. That’s a big change for me. It’s hard. I’ve got two in the pipeline right now, one short and one feature, and I’m quite excited.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
#1 Consistency — When I say I’m going to make a thing I’ve constantly got it made. I’ve consistently released the works I’ve gotten made. And I’ve consistently showed up for others when I signed up to help for their projects. By putting the films you make out into the world for it to be seen, even if it’s just YouTube, Vimeo, or Instagram it will garner more appreciation than almost anything else. Your team will appreciate you for honoring their work. The world will appreciate you for being someone that can follow through. And doing all this consistently earns a lot of goodwill that, I believe, one needs to make better pieces as they continue to grow.
#2 Don’t push your shoot, please, please, please — This has been a rule for me that I’ve had since I first got started that I try my very best to uphold. Momentum is so important. Excitement to get to work is so important. Pushing a shoot date hurts both these things. Do whatever you can to keep the dates you initially announced to your team whether it takes changing your shooting location, recasting, or recrewing. It’s always sad when someone you really wanted can’t make those dates work, but if everyone else can it’s so much easier to switch the one than the many.
#3 Integrity — Whether you’re working your dream crew position (or dream role) or not, bring your best efforts to all the interactions. Whether you’re doing a favor for a friend, working for a lower rate because you need the money, or no one else on the team seems competent at all… I say to always show up with that integrity, be awesome, show what you’re capable of because I believe these good habits bring good futures. We can’t control those around us, but we can definitely control how we show up.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
As of late the person who’s been the most helpful with encouraging me in my personal growth has been my girlfriend Sarah. She’s helped me take a deeper look within myself, to really think about what my core values are. Sarah has helped by holding me accountable on this growth path toward living those values best I can.
I’ve learned how important it is to be firm in my foundations of myself, that my knowledge, qualities, and skills will be able to shine brightest only if I have a strong sense of who I am and what I stand for, which will continue to a work in progress for some time, I’m sure, but until then I know Sarah will be my biggest supporter.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eddievigilv.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eddievigilv/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6z_T5llvqcX1NH3Sf8dEJw
Image Credits
Sarah Anarna
